Kolkata, July 10 (IANS) Metro Railway on Friday completed tunnelling on a stretch of the underground section of its Purple Line between Kidderpore and Victoria after the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), Durga, achieved a breakthrough at the proposed Victoria Metro station.

It took exactly one year to complete the tunnelling work between Kidderpore and Victoria.

The work commenced at Kidderpore on July 10, 2025. The TBM will now proceed beneath the Kolkata Maidan towards Park Street. The Blue Line already connects Park Street with Esplanade and beyond.

The breakthrough was achieved at around 10.30 a.m. in the presence of Prem Sagar Gupta, General Manager, Metro Railway, Kolkata.

Among those present were the Consul General of Nepal, the Commissioner of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the Commissioner of Police, Howrah, and senior officials of Metro Railway, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited and L&T, the executing agency.

“Engineering excellence beneath the city. TBM Durga achieves breakthrough at Purple Line of Kolkata Metro. Congratulations to the team,” Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw posted on X along with a video of the breakthrough.

“The successful breakthrough of TBM Durga demonstrates engineering excellence, meticulous planning, teamwork and the dedicated efforts of all stakeholders involved in the project. This achievement represents an important step towards boosting Kolkata’s urban transport infrastructure by providing faster, safer and more sustainable Metro connectivity,” a senior Metro official said.

The Metro Railway General Manager appreciated the commitment and teamwork of the project personnel, who ensured safe, methodical, professional and efficient tunnelling while maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety without disturbing surface traffic movement.

The Purple Line, which will connect Joka in the south-west of Kolkata with Esplanade, has been delayed due to land acquisition issues and pending permission from the Local Military Authority, which oversees the Maidan. A few clubs on the Maidan had to be temporarily relocated to facilitate construction. Care has also been taken to avoid disturbing the iconic Victoria Memorial, one of the city’s major landmarks.

The Joka-Esplanade Metro corridor comprises an elevated viaduct from Joka to Kidderpore, beyond which the alignment runs underground. Operations have already commenced between Joka and Majerhat, providing connectivity to thousands of commuters. Once completed, the project will benefit lakhs of people living along Diamond Harbour Road and adjoining areas.

–IANS

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